


All About the Blood

by miss_grey



Series: What We Do In The Dark [50]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood Kink, Domestic Shenanigans, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mad Science, Sex, Strange family dynamics, Supernatural AU - Freeform, UST, Witchcraft, parenting, vampire nix, witch gene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:41:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21922354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_grey/pseuds/miss_grey
Summary: That's where it begins and ends.
Relationships: Babe Heffron/Eugene Roe, Eugene Roe & Dick Winters, Lewis Nixon & Babe Heffron, Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters
Series: What We Do In The Dark [50]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1366063
Comments: 28
Kudos: 77





	All About the Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays, everyone. You deserve this.

_Three Days Later_

He’d been hit by a truck. Must’ve been. His bones ached, his teeth ached. His whole body was stiff and his head pounded. His bladder screamed at him. 

Gene blinked awake in the darkness. He became aware, slowly. Pain had roused him, but now he felt other things—the softness of a bed cradling his body. Faint, muted light melting in through the window. A slight chill on the air.

His bladder protested once more and Gene hauled himself out of the bed, stumbling, joints aching. He made it into the bathroom just in time to relieve himself.

After, he collapsed against the sink, but fiddled with the tap until he a burst of cold water poured forth. He washed his hands then bent his head under the stream and drank until the cobwebs in his brain began to fade. His throat was dry, his head stuffy, and for a long moment, he had no idea where he was or how he’d gotten there.

He splashed water on his face and felt his mind clear a little. He raised his dripping head to stare into the mirror and when his eyes locked on those of his reflection, he was suddenly thrust back, into a foggy clearing inside of himself again. _He was on his knees, body trembling, as the demon screamed at him, and then everything was a blinding blue-white light._

Gene gasped and shoved himself away from the sink, tearing clumsily out of the bathroom. He scrabbled at the doorknob, finally realizing where he was, and he stumbled down the steps toward the golden light pouring out of Nix’s kitchen.

Dick sat, slumped and half-asleep at the table, but he jerked himself to his feet, his chair screeching, as Gene burst into the room. “You’re awake,” Dick said, coming around the table to grasp Gene under the arms before his legs managed to fold beneath him. “Here,” Dick said, leading him to a seat and depositing him into it. Dick bustled over to the sink and came back with a glass of water. “Drink this.”

Gene drank, still parched, then pushed the glass away. “What happened?” Gene croaked, voice hoarse. “Where’s Edward? Is he okay? I saw him fall.” His lungs protested and he coughed, had to stop for a moment and just breathe. “What’d the demon do to him?” His heart hammered frantically from within his ribs. “Dick, where is he?” Gene demanded, voice breaking.

“He’s here,” Dick said, holding his hands out to soothe Gene. “He’s here. Calm down. Breathe. You need to breathe. You’ve been out for three days.”

Gene hadn’t even been sure he’d make it out of that warehouse. Three days was nothing. “What happened?”

Dick swallowed thickly and crouched in front of Gene. His voice was low, soothing, like he was afraid to spook a wild animal. “The demon tried to kill him, Gene. He tore him up really bad right before he went into you.”

Gene gulped, throat bobbing. He could feel the tears burning at the back of his throat. “But he’s not…he’s not….”

“I need you to understand, Gene. He was dying. He wasn’t going to make it out. We did what we could. _Nix_ did what he could. He did the only thing he _could_ do.” Dick’s voice trembled but he held Gene’s gaze. “He tried to save Babe.”

Ice slid into Gene’s belly, but he braced himself. With as steady a voice as he could muster, he said “I want to see him.”

Gene followed Dick downstairs to a basement that he hadn’t known existed. The hallway was brightly lit, the floor carpeted like the upstairs, but at the end of it stood a steel, reinforced door and the wall looked thicker around it. Gene turned to stare at Dick, but the hunter avoided his gaze. Everything was silent for a long, tense moment, and then from behind the door, a voice Gene would know anywhere, a voice he’d feared he’d never hear again. The voice of the man he loved. Edward’s slightly nasal, Philly accented voice piped up, and through the steel, Gene heard him ask “What _is_ that? God, it smells good, whatever it is. Sooo good.” There was a vague shuffling and then a whine: “Jeez, I’m so hungry.”

Dick flicked a quick glance at Gene then tapped on the door twice in quick succession. He twisted the knob and stood out of the way so that Gene could walk through.

It took him a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim light, but then his heart kicked in his chest. Nix and Edward at the back of the room, Edward’s hands held firmly behind his back by the vampire. Gene’s hackles rose and without thinking about it, sparks danced across his fists.

Edward’s gaze focused on Gene, strangely glazed, but obviously ecstatic. A bright grin spread across his lips. “Gene!” He gasped, tugging forward, shoulders straining. “Gene, you’re here! I missed you so much! Oh God, I thought you were dead! Gene, I need you! Please!” He struggled against Nix’s hold and Gene took a step forward, outraged that the vampire would keep Edward from him. But then Edward whined, low in his throat and began to plead. “Please, please, I need you. Gene, I need you. Oh God, please. You smell so good. Let me go! Let me go!!!”

Fists balled, and ready to fight the vampire who he’d finally begun to respect, Gene took a menacing step forward, but Dick’s heavy hand clamped on his shoulder and held him back. Gene whirled on him, ready to fight him too, but the man’s face was somber, lined with grief. “Don’t.” Dick said, shaking his head softly. “He’s a vampire.”

“Please Gene,” Edward begged, “Please, God, I need you so bad. I just wanna hold ya, please!” He jerked in Nix’s hold. “Damnit, lemme go! Gene, I’m so hungry, please! You smell so good. Please, you’re the best fucking thing I’ve ever smelled in my life. I just need ya so bad! Please, Gene!”

Gene saw red. The lights flickered violently and Gene fixed his gaze on Nix, where the vampire stood behind Edward, holding him fast. The vampire’s dark eyes were fixed on Gene’s: open, pained. Gene wanted to hurt him. Wanted to punish him for this. He wanted to squeeze Nix’s heart so that he could feel the pain that Gene felt. _He did it outta spite,_ Gene thought. _Now I know how he feels._ Gene strode forward, intent on the vampire, but suddenly Dick’s hands were on his shoulders, like a vice, and he hauled Gene back. Edward struggled against his bonds and tried to follow. The lights flickered more and Gene cursed as Dick pulled him through the door, nearly lifting Gene off his feet to do it, and slammed it behind them. “What the fuck?!” Gene demanded.

Dick shoved him up against the wall and pinned his shoulders there. “Stop,” he commanded. “Gene…stop.”

Gene’s chest heaved with each breath. His whole body had begun to shake—from rage, fear, exhaustion, he didn’t know anymore. “How could you?!” He cried. “I trusted you!”

Dick clenched his jaw and his hands held fast. “I know you’re angry and you have a right to be. But we didn’t do this to hurt you. Either of you. Babe was dying, Gene! He was dying. He had maybe a couple minutes left, and I’m no healer. Nix did this to save Babe, in the only way he had in the moment.” Dick’s hands relaxed, just a fraction. His thumbs rubbed soothing circles into Gene’s shoulders. “I’m sorry.” His eyes were exhausted, sad. “I know this is difficult, but it's not the end.”

Gene stared at the hunter. He set his jaw. “I’m takin’ him and we’re leavin’.”

Dick shook his head. “How do you plan to do that, huh? And where would you go?”

“Home.”

“You can’t. Babe’s too strong and he can’t control his impulses yet.” Dick sighed, shoulders slumping. “That’s why he and Nix are in the basement. It’s the only place that’s safe right now and Nix is the only one strong enough to keep him in check until he learns some self control.”

“Is that what that was?!” Gene demanded, irate.

“Yes,” Dick insisted. “It was.” He huffed and took a step away from Gene, his hands dropping to his sides. “I promise we’re taking care of him. Nix has been trying to teach him.”

Gene stared at Dick then, for a long, tense moment. Behind the door, Babe’s shouts had quieted to whimpers. Gene rolled his shoulders then pushed away from the wall and headed back upstairs, the lights flickering in his wake.

* * *

_Day Four_

The lights flickered again and Dick sighed wearily. They’d been doing that, on and off, for the last day and still Gene hadn’t emerged from his room except to grab some much-needed food. But he’d barely glanced at Dick before he’d disappeared again. Every so often, Dick thought he heard an outburst from upstairs, but then Gene settled down again. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what the witch was doing. What he’d seen Gene do in that warehouse had been… awesome and terrifying and really incomprehensible. 

When Gene had told Dick his plan to lock the demon inside of his body, Dick had been outraged. He’d refused to go along with it, but over hours Gene and Nix had talked him down so that he’d at least listen to the rest of the plan. Gene hadn’t been sure if he’d be able to deal with the demon once the creature had possessed him, but for Babe, he’d been willing to try. He’d made Dick and Nix promise to get Babe out, no matter what. And as Dick had watched Gene do battle with the demon, he’d thought that it was the man’s dying wish. Dick was convinced, for a moment, that Gene wouldn’t make it out of there, and with Babe dying, he might not either. Dick hadn’t known the witch for long, but in the time he’d known him, he’d grown close to him in a way that was almost indescribable. And he hadn’t been willing to let him down. 

_Gene wasn’t going to make it out of here alive. The man fell to his knees, screaming, and the room filled with blue lightning._ Oh my God, _Dick thought,_ Gene is dead. There’s no way he could’ve lived through that. _But then a thin gasp of blue vapor escaped Gene’s mouth and he collapsed. Dick rushed over to him, kneeling at his side to check his pulse, his breathing. He'd just found the flicker of a pulse when the demon Speirs strode back into the building._

_Dick leapt to his feet. “Where’s Lip?!” He demanded._

_Speirs stared him down before waving toward the cars. “He’s safe. He’s outside.”_

_Dick’s shoulders relaxed, minutely, before Speirs took another step forward and Dick stepped over Gene, blocking him from the demon. “What are you doing?”_

_Speirs’s eyes traced, slowly, from Dick down to where Gene lay on the cold, hard, ground. “I made a deal with him.”_

_Dicks’ hackles rose. “What deal?”_

_Speirs shrugged. “He wanted me to destroy him if he couldn’t get the demon out.” He took another step forward._

_“Stop!” Dick commanded. “Don’t come any closer.”_

_Speirs quirked a brow. “You won’t honor his wishes?”_

_“I—I think he won.” Dick said, afraid to take his eyes off the demon to look down at Gene. “Something happened.”_

_“Are you willing to speculate?” Speirs asked. “Do you know what Dike would be capable of with this witch’s powers at his disposal?” Speirs stared down at Gene. “Much as I despise him, this is the most powerful witch I’ve ever encountered.”_

_“So how do we know? For sure?”_

_Speirs shrugged lightly. “I could tell you, if you’d permit me to touch him.”_

_Dick’s shoulders stiffened. “How do I know you won’t hurt him instead? You just said you despise him.”_

_“I do. But I also keep my word, and I’ve promised this witch something. I intend to deliver.”_

_Dick clenched his fists, unsure what he should do. Was he willing to bear the responsibility of unleashing a Gene-powered Dike on the world? Was he willing to let this demon touch the man? The thought of Lip made the decision for him. Dick stepped aside, warily, and watched as Speirs crouched over Gene’s still body. He pressed a hand against Gene’s chest and closed his eyes. A moment later, they flicked open, pure black now, and he withdrew, seemingly uncomfortable._

_“Well?” Dick pressed._

_“The demon is gone.” Speirs said. “And it seems your witch has managed to do something that no human has ever done before.”_

_Dick’s mouth had gone dry. He’d needed confirmation. “What is that?”_

_“He’s destroyed a demon.” Speirs rolled his shoulders back and met Dick’s eyes once more. “I’m taking Carwood with me.”_

_“No.” Dick said, resolute. “He needs to be taken care of.”_

_“Which I will do.” Speirs insisted. “His friend Luz is with me. The shifter.”_

_Dick frowned. “Where did he come from?”_

_“He found his way here on his own. He is, I think you’d agree, a good friend to have.”_

_“You’re a demon.” Dick said, all of his instincts still protesting the thought of this creature with his hands on Dick’s best friend._

_“And yet.” Speirs shrugged. “He will be safe with me.”_

_“I want to see him first.”_

_Speirs nodded, briefly. “Fine. But make it quick. He needs attention.” Then he spun on his heel and retreated._

_Dick glanced down at Gene and his heart clenched. He’d done it. This stubborn, impossible man had done it. He’d destroyed a demon. Dick knelt and lifted him, grunting from the effort, as he cradled him and carried him out to the car. Nix had disappeared in that direction just moments before with Babe, who was pale and had ceased breathing a short time ago._

_Nix met him at the door, taking Gene from his arms easily. “Is it done?” Nix asked. “Did he do it?”_

_“Yeah,” Dick nodded wearily. “Yeah, he did.”_

_“Crazy son of a bitch.” Nix gasped, in awe._

_“Have you seen Lip?” Dick asked._

_“Yeah, he’s passed out in the back of Speirs’s car.” Nix studied Dick, tracing his eyes from his head to his toes. “You alright?”_

_“I’m fine. I want to see Lip.”_

_“Alright. But then we need to go, okay? I think we can make it back to Jersey before the sun comes up, but I need you to drive, alright? I don’t know how long it’ll be before the kid wakes up. And when he does, he’ll be hungry.”_

_Dick shuddered. “Alright.”_

_He made his way to the black car and Speirs opened the back door for him. He found Lip inside, lying sprawled across the backseat, bent uncomfortably. Blood speckled his face and spattered his clothes. Before he could ask, Speirs murmured “They tortured him.”_

_Dick raised his eyes to Speirs. “And the demon who did this?”_

_“Ashes.”_

_“Good.” Dick finally turned his attention to the shorter man who hung over the passenger seat, watching everything. “You must be Luz.” Dick said._

_“Yeah,” the man said, though his voice was shaky._

_“Lip’s told me a lot about you over the years. He said you were a real friend.”_

_“I am.” Luz replied._

_“So you’ll take care of him.”_

_“Yeah. I will. You can count on it.”_

_“Good.”_

_Luz nodded toward the other vehicle. “What about Babe and the Doc?”_

_Dick sighed, his shoulders slumping with a heavy heart and exhaustion. “They made it out.”_

_Luz shook his head. “I guess that’s the best we could ask for, huh?”_

_Dick swallowed thickly. “Yeah, I guess it is.”_

Dick was so deep in his thoughts, he startled when Gene slid into the chair across from him and folded his hands on the table. “I ‘pologize.” Gene said, tipping his head. “I’ve been unfair.” Dick didn’t know what to say, and didn’t want to take the chance of setting him off again, so he remained silent. “Did Lipton…?”

Dick nodded his head jerkily. “Yeah,” he said, rushing to allay Gene’s worries. “Yeah, he made it out.” Gene glanced around the room, as if looking for where the other hunter might be, so Dick waved him off. “He’s in Philadelphia again. With Speirs. And Luz.” Gene quirked a brow and Dick chuckled hollowly. “Yeah, I didn’t see that one coming either. But he’s alive. He called me yesterday. He’s alright, I think. Or at least… as alright as he can be.” Dick shrugged. “I wanted him here, but…well.”

“You’ve got your hands full.” Gene supplied.

Dick huffed a soft, exhausted laugh. “Yeah.”

They were quiet for a moment, Gene twisting his hands softly together. Then: “Are they both…?”

“Still down there? Yeah.” Dick shrugged. “Nix hasn’t felt comfortable leaving him yet.”

Gene frowned. “That must be hard on both a you.”

Another shrug. Dick felt like he was picking his way through a minefield. Gene appeared calm, now, but Dick had observed his temper enough times to know it didn’t mean much. “Needs to be done.” He cleared his throat. “I meant what I said, yesterday. We… we did what we had to. Don’t hate Nix for that. He’s trying.”

Gene stared at him, eyes unreadable. “I want to see him again.”

Dick sighed. “Alright.”

The lights glowed softly this time, but Babe kicked up a fuss behind the door again as they approached. Dick cast a sideways glance at Gene, but the witch seemed calm, clear-headed now. He’d healed up since his encounter with the demon…at least on the outside. Dick couldn’t imagine what might be going on inside of him after something like that. He still couldn’t quite comprehend what Gene had done. He knew that Gene had trapped the demon inside of himself, and he knew that Gene’s tattoos had helped him, to some degree. The witch had tried to explain, in broad strokes before, but it hadn’t made much sense. Now all Dick could imagine was that Gene was the antithesis of that demon and the creature hadn’t been able to exist in such an environment. Dick still didn’t quite understand—he wasn’t sure he ever would. But he knew the witch at his side was someone that deserved respect and he was glad that Gene had a hold on himself again. Dick wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold him back a second time.

“I wanna go in alone.” Gene said, turning to look at him. Dick opened his mouth to protest, but Gene laid a hand, gently, on his shoulder and squeezed. “I won’t hurt ‘im.” He said. “I promise.”

And…well…Gene’s promises had always been good. After everything, Dick still trusted him, so he dipped his head and took a step back from the door.

Gene tapped then, and announced: “I’m comin’ in.”

Gene closed the door behind him and made his way into the room. He was able to catalogue details his mind had been too busy to notice last time—the fridge in the corner, the couch and table, the faint scent of coffee and blood, mixed strangely. Gene’s palms were damp with sweat. He focused now, on the two vampires who hovered, awkwardly, between Gene and the couch where they’d obviously been sitting before Gene had approached.

“Gene,” Edward breathed, “God, Gene! You’re here. I can’t…I can’t believe it. God, I missed you! I’m so sorry. So sorry for what I did! I never would’ve hurt you! The demon…it…it made me.”

Gene’s heart squeezed with grief and he said “Nix…let ‘im go.”

Nix shook his head. “Not a chance. He’s too young. He’s got no self-control yet.”

Edward started to cry and Gene felt his own tears, hot, in the back of his throat. “Let ‘im go.” He demanded.

Nix sighed. “It’s your funeral.” He muttered, but he did as Gene asked.

In the space between seconds, Edward pressed himself to Gene, faster than Gene could blink, his arms wrapped around him, so strong that Gene had to fight for breath, so fast that he’d nearly knocked Gene off his feet. “Gene,” Edward cried, holding him close. “I’m so sorry. So sorry. I….”

“No,” Gene ordered, his own voice cracking as he hugged Edward back. “No, none a that. It wasn’t you, Babe. It wasn’t you. I know that.” He pet Edward’s soft, red hair, and the man felt so good to hold, even though he was different now.

Edward pulled back and pressed a kiss to Gene’s forehead, his cheeks, his eyelids. Both of them were crying now, but holding his lover felt so good that Gene didn’t care. He’d feared he’d never see Edward again. He’d been afraid he’d fail him. And he… and he _had._ Edward had _died._ He was…he was a vampire now.

Gene felt the press of fangs against Edward’s lips when he reached up to kiss him, but he didn’t care, couldn’t, because Edward was still warm and soft, and Gene didn’t even care that he could barely breathe because of the other man’s hold on him. “Gene,” Edward sobbed, fingers clutching at Gene’s back. “I thought…I thought the demon had killed ya.”

“No,” Gene murmured, “No Babe, I’m here. I’m right here. I’m okay.” He twined his fingers in Edward’s hair. “I’m okay.”

“God,” Edward sighed, “I can’t believe I get to hold ya.” He muttered. He breathed shakily against Gene’s skin then nuzzled against Gene’s neck. Gene realized what was happening and he took a step back just as Nix pulled Edward away.

Edward’s eyes were bright, round with shock. “I wasn’t gonna!” He protested shakily, his hands jittering.

Nix snorted. “Yes, you were.” He drawled. “And you woulda loved every second of it.”

Edward squawked, outraged, but Nix fixed Gene with a hard look. “You see?” He said. “No self-control.”

“I love Gene!” Edward protested. “I’d never hurt him! I love him!”

Nix shook his head sadly. “It’s harder with the ones you love, unfortunately.”

And Gene was reminded, again, that this was the battle that Nix fought with himself every single day he was with Dick.

Gene squared his shoulders and approached, slowly. He pressed a hand against Edward’s cheek. “I ain’t leavin’ you, but I gotta think. I’ll be back.” He tossed a glance at the older vampire. “Do what Nix says.”

Edward whined, low, in the back of his throat, but he nodded, and he didn’t cry too much when Gene left this time.

After the door was sealed once more and both sets of footsteps had retreated up to the main level of the house, Nix finally released the twisting, whining redhead in his hold.

Babe turned to him, glaring, as he rubbed at his wrists. The look softened to petulant, though, as his shoulders slumped. “I didn’t wanna hurt him,” Babe insisted. “I love him.”

Nix shrugged. “Yeah, I know.”

Babe huffed and began to pace, back in forth in short, super-quick strides in front of Nix. Even with his vampire senses, it was enough to make Nix dizzy. “Why does he have to smell so damn good? What’s that all about? Jeez, that was the best damn thing I’ve ever smelled in my whole life.”

Nix followed the young vampire’s movements wearily. “I don’t know why. That’s just how it is. If it makes you feel better, it’s only ever that bad when you love someone.”

“No, that don’t make me feel betta,” Babe growled, “Gene’s the one I want. And now, what? I wanna eat him?” He stopped, abruptly, and fixed Nix in his gaze. “I’m hungry again.”

Nix rolled his eyes. “Of course you are. Get another bottle.”

Babe shuffled over to the fridge and nearly wrenched the door off its hinges when he opened it. “Oops,” he muttered, hunching his shoulders as he pulled out a bottle of pig’s blood. He twisted the top off and tipped it back, making gagging noises as he did. “Ugh,” he gasped, after. “That shit is _disgusting._ You’re tellin’ me that’s what I gotta eat for the rest of my life?”

Nix frowned. “Unless you wanna end up killing someone, yeah.”

Babe fixed him with an incredulous look. “So you spent your whole vampire life drinking this?!”

“No.” Nix growled. “I killed people. Be better than that. Drink up.”

Babe tossed the empty bottle in the bin then flopped back down on the couch, his arms folded in front of him. “Why didn’t your…whatever you call it….” He frowned up at Nix. “Sire? Boss man? I’m not calling you daddy.”

Nix groaned and ran a hand down his face. “Just call me Nix. For the love of God.”

Babe snorted. “Nix. Why didn’t your vampire… sire thing teach you about pig’s blood?”

Nix reminded himself to take a deep, calming breath. Who would’ve thought a new vampire would be so much work? Had he been this bad? “My vampire sire was what you’d call a deadbeat, Babe. He killed me and then left without even any child support, alright? I didn’t have anyone to help me in the beginning. And I fucked up a lot. So just… do what I tell ya, alright? I know it sucks, but it sure as hell has to beat being dead for real, right?”

Babe gulped. “Right.”

“Good. Have another bottle of blood. It’ll help.”

* * *

_Day 7_

Nix lay on the couch, his arm thrown over his face as Babe paced frantically back and forth on the carpet in front of him. Nix suddenly felt sorry for every exhausted mother who had a newborn. Who would’ve thought creating a vampire would be this much work? His sire hadn’t bothered to stick around, as he’d mentioned, but Nix wouldn’t do that to Babe. The kid obviously needed him. He kept tripping on his own feet because he had an easier time speeding up than slowing down. He’d set a bottle down too hard and broken the coffee table. He kept crying about being hungry.

Nix missed Dick. He could hear him upstairs, puttering around, occasionally talking with Gene. But Nix missed holding him. Missed kissing him. Missed having someone who’d comb their fingers through his hair and tell him it was going to be okay. 

“How old are you, anyway?” Babe asked, without slowing down.

Nix sighed. “I’m one hundred and twenty five.”

“Damn,” Babe whistled. “That’s pretty old.” Yeah, it felt like it, suddenly. “Will I live to be that old?”

Nix groaned and sat up, realizing he wouldn’t be getting rest anytime soon. “That’s not that old, really, among vampires. I’m still what they’d consider an impetuous youth.”

Babe snorted. “Impetuous youth, huh? What am I, then?”

“You’re a baby. And you’ll live as long as you live. Vampires are immortal, kiddo. We only die when we do stupid shit.”

Babe frowned and he finally stopped pacing. “Like what?”

“Like…walk into the sun. Or, I dunno… hang out in churches. Drink holy water. Get on the wrong side of hunters.”

Babe snorted. “Isn’t Dick a hunter?”

Nix grinned. “Yeah, but I’m on his _good_ side.”

“Hmmm,” Babe hummed, thinking. “Do I have any vampire brothers and sisters?”

“No.” Nix said, his stomach sinking suddenly. 

“No?”

“No.”

“Are you sayin’ I’m the only one you’ve ever turned?”

“Yeah,” Nix said, sharply. “That’s what I’m saying.”

“Why?” Babe asked, voice softening.

“Because I’ve done a lot of fucked up shit in my time, but I never intended to do that. I just….”

“Right.” Babe said, nodding jerkily. Nix could hear the tears in his voice when he said. “Well, uh… thanks. For, ya know…doin’ it anyway.”

Nix frowned unhappily up at Babe. “You sure about that?”

“Yeah,” Babe said, nodding. “I’m sure. Like you said, it’s better than being _dead_ dead.”

Nix’s pulse settled a bit. “Then you’re welcome, kid.”

* * *

_Day 8_

Gene slipped through the door and shut it quickly behind him. Or at least, it was quick to him. For Babe, it was almost like slow-motion now. He could move faster than he’d ever imagined and he was stronger than he could even understand. Only Nix was stronger than him now, at least physically. He still bet that Gene could knock them both on their asses if he was so inclined. But that wasn’t who Gene was. He was…here. 

Babe tracked him as he moved into the room, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, looking healthy, except for the dark bags under his eyes and Babe couldn’t help wondering if he was the one causing Gene’s sleepless nights. Still, exhausted or not, the man was still the most beautiful thing Babe had ever seen. Strong and capable and he smelled _so goddamn good._ Babe’s heart kicked into a run and he licked his lips before Nix kicked him lightly and he remembered their lessons. He had to try to control himself, otherwise Nix wouldn’t let Gene come down anymore. And Babe _desperately_ wanted to leave this basement someday. 

“How you feelin’? Gene asked, coming within reach of Babe.

Babe shrugged. “I’m alright. How’re you? Dick treatin’ you okay?” Babe could hear the other hunter humming in the kitchen above.

Gene nodded. “I’m fine.” He glanced at Nix for a second, then. “He says he’s gonna come visit later.”

Nix sighed. “Good.” 

Babe felt kinda bad. He knew that Nix was only living in a basement because of him. He knew Nix was used to having full reign of his house, knew that the other vampire would give anything to be upstairs with his boyfriend rather than trapped down here with Babe.

“How much longer do I need to stay down here?” Babe asked.

Nix rolled his eyes. “We’ve been over this. You need to be here until you can figure out how to be around humans without trying to eat them.”

“I won’t!” Babe insisted.

“Bullshit.”

Babe huffed, but Gene asked “How much blood is he drinkin’ everyday?”

Nix sighed, wearily. “About six bottles. It keeps him calm enough that he doesn’t try to break out of here.”

“What if he had more?”

“How much more?” Nix asked.

“Like…8? Ten?”

“He’d probably get drunk.”

“Would he be safer then?”

“Yeah, probably. But he’d be stupid, too. Just like anyone else when they’re drunk.”

“And if he had less?”

Nix shrugged. “He’d probably start to lose his mind.”

“Hey,” Babe barked, “stop talkin’ about me like I ain’t here.

“Sorry,” Gene murmured. He flashed Babe a small smile. “Just trying to figure out how ta help ya.”

“It’s okay,” Babe conceded.

“He’s only had pig’s blood?” Gene asked. 

“Yeah.”

“Fresh blood’s stronger, though, right? So he’d need less of it.”

“Yeah, but unfortunately, we don’t exactly have a bunch of pigs running around here.”

Gene rolled his eyes at Nix and Babe had to choke back a laugh. “That ain’t what I meant. How much human blood do you think he’d need to be this calm?”

Babe felt his mouth water at the suggestion, and his eyes sharpened. He turned to look at Nix and saw that the other vampire’s eyes had darkened. Babe wondered if that’s what his had done. “Half that. Maybe less.” Nix murmured. “Still too much for a human to bear without killing them. And anyway, that’s a dark road to go down. It’s an addiction, and it’s hard as hell to stop.”

“Hmmm.” Gene murmured. “What if the blood was stronger than a human’s?”

Babe frowned. “Like a werewolf?” But he heard Nix whine, low in his throat behind him and he turned to look at the other vampire again. Nix’s eyes were big, desperate, dark, and fixed on Gene. 

“Don’t know.” Nix gulped, his throat bobbing. Babe could hear his heart accelerate. He frowned, looking from Nix to Gene and back again. _What the hell?_

“I wonder…” Gene started, but Nix cut him off.

“No. Don’t say it.” 

But Gene’s eyes had already gotten that dreamy, faraway look, like he was already ten steps ahead of everyone else. “I’ll be back.”

“Don’t go!” Babe called, reaching for Gene as he backed away. “Not yet, you just got here!”

“Let him go.” Nix said, voice strained. “It’s for the best.”

And Babe was so damn confused by what had just happened.

* * *

_Day 10_

Nix shivered and all the hair stood up on his body. Across the room, Babe sat up from a dead sleep. They both smelled it. They both wanted it. It terrified Nix.

“Fuck,” he muttered. He wanted to bar the door. He wanted to run away. He wanted to tear it open and go upstairs and _take._ He clenched his jaw. It smelled so much better now, so much more _powerful_ than it had the last time. And what exactly had changed? Was it the tattoos? The thing with the demon? Or had the witch been up to other tricks in the last day?

“What _is_ that?” Babe whined, leaping to his feet. He pressed his hands against the door and bowed his head. “Oh, God.” He moaned. “I want it. Nix, I want it so bad.”

Nix cleared his throat and joined Babe at the door, pulling the younger vampire away from it. _Me, too,_ he wanted to say. Instead, he forced his own heart to calm and said “You know what that is. You’ve smelled it before.”

“I haven’t,” Babe protested. “I’d remember this. It’s Heaven. Nix, I wanna drown in it.”

“You have. Just…from inside the vein.”

“What?” Babe turned to stare at him and the boy’s eyes were almost pure black, the pupils blown wide. 

Nix shuddered. “That’s Gene’s blood.”

Babe gasped and his eyes darted toward the door again. “Is he hurt?”

Nix shook his head. “Doubt it. Listen.”

Babe perked his ears and Nix knew they were listening to the same thing. A hushed conversation between Gene and Dick. Dick trying to talk Gene out of something. Gene insisting. Then light footsteps, headed down the stairs, then along the hallway.

With each step, Nix’s heart slammed into his ribs and his mouth went dry. He was thirsty. He was turned on. He was terrified. “Move away from the door.” Nix ordered, tugging Babe back by the shoulder. The boy was so stunned he allowed it without a fight.

A moment later, Gene tapped on the door and pushed it open. 

Nix wondered what the witch must have seen. Could he tell he was walking into a lions’ den, moving amongst starving creatures who wanted his blood? Could he smell the danger? Gene wasn’t a lamb, though, Nix reminded himself. The witch understood, better than most, probably, what he was doing. Still, he had the steel nerve to saunter into the basement, alone, with two vampires and a vial of his own blood held in the palm of his hand. 

Babe whined again and reached for him but Nix tugged him back. “No,” he growled. “Control yourself.”

Gene smiled softly at the both of them and Nix loved him and hated him in that moment. _Damn you,_ Nix cursed internally. So many of his current troubles rested on the witch’s shoulders and now _this._ Only one other person had ever made Nix want this badly and that was Dick. That was _love._ This was… _desperation thirst hunger desire power fear absolution._

“Edward,” Gene drawled in his deep, steady voice, “I need ta ask you somethin’.”

“Anything.” Babe gasped, and Nix knew the boy was lost. Just as in thrall as Nix, but less able to deal with it. 

“I wanna get you outta this basement. I wanna get you back to your ma and your life again. I wanna be able to hold you again. But first we gotta get your cravin’ under control.”

“Yeah,” Babe agreed, nodding. “Yeah, I want that, too.”

Nix felt like he was slowly sinking through the floor, weighed down by the strength of his wanting. 

“Nix said human blood is more potent than pig’s blood and would tide you over betta. Figured it wouldn’t be right to ask anyone else fo’ that.” He shrugged. “So I brought mine.”

_Fresh from the vein_ , Nix thought, swallowing thickly. He could smell it on the witch. Nix had never felt so much like a predator in his whole existence than he did in that moment. 

“You willin’ to see if mine’ll calm you down?” Gene asked. “I think it might be more potent than most.” Gene shuffled awkwardly. “Not sure if it’ll have any other effects. It’s dangerous. I wanna warn ya, first.”

“I want it.” Babe said, nodding his head. “I’ll take the chance.”

“Nix?” Gene asked. Nix wasn’t sure what he was asking. Whether Nix thought it was a good idea ( _he didn’t_ ), whether he’d help Babe if it went wrong ( _what the hell could he do?!_ ) or if he wanted some too ( _oh, God!_ ). 

Nix nodded numbly, his eyes tracking the vial as Gene opened his palm and handed it over.

Such a little thing, a flute of glass, and pooled within, the color of pomegranates, thick, smelling of Heaven. Nix swallowed thickly, his mouth watering, as Babe’s clumsy hands pulled the stopper out and tipped it into his mouth without another thought. Nix watched it dribble into the boy’s mouth and he wanted it. The thought terrified him.

“Oh, God,” Babe moaned, eyes fluttering shut. He dropped the vial and swayed on his feet. “That…that’s Heaven. True Heaven.” He smiled serenely at them then a second later, promptly fell on his ass, out cold.

* * *

_Day 12_

“It’s terrifying,” Nix murmured, pressing his face against Dick’s shoulder. 

“It got you out of the basement,” Dick replied, threading his fingers through Nix’s hair and pressing him tighter into Dick. “I missed you.” Dick murmured.

“Missed you too,” Nix mumbled. He breathed against Dick for a moment before huffing. “You sure they’re okay?”

“I have no idea, honestly.” Dick said, and _that_ didn’t make Nix feel any better. “But Gene insisted, and you know how he can be.”

Nix snorted. “Yeah, I sure do.” He’d learned, in the last three weeks, how terrifying and stubborn and pushy the witch could be. He still hadn’t figured out how the hell he’d ended up saddled with a witch and a newborn vampire. All he’d wanted was a nice, quiet life making love to Dick. He sighed. _This is what happens when you get involved with hunters,_ he reminded himself.

“Was Babe awake when you left them?”

“Yeah,” Nix snorted, “just…loopy.”

Dick frowned. “Gene can take care of himself.” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself, even though they both knew it was true. “And he’ll take care of Babe, too. He loves him.”

“He does.” Dick frowned and Nix could hear his heart patter out a strange beat. “What is it?” Nix asked.

Dick inhaled, but didn’t respond for a bit. Instead, he just breathed for a while, long enough that Nix thought that maybe he’d fallen asleep. Finally, though, Dick murmured “It’s funny, how far people will go for the ones they love.”

Nix sucked in a breath. He held it, forcing his heart to stay calm. He swallowed thickly. “Yeah, funny.” He agreed.

Edward pressed his lips sleepily to Gene’s. “Mmmm…Gene,” he murmured. “Missed you. Missed…this.”

Gene shivered, trying to hold back tears as Edward wrapped tightly around him—all long, warm limbs and floppy red hair. It was almost enough to forget what he was now. Almost enough to forget that it was only Gene’s blood that had made this possible. Gene’s blood, a thing he’d learned to guard young, in the swamp of his home, when Renee explained to him all the ways it could help him or hurt him. He’d never meant to give it away. “You think you’ll be up to callin’ home soon?” Gene asked, petting Edward’s hair.

Edward sighed and buried his face into Gene’s neck, his lips brushing the tender skin. Gene stiffened, attentive, but Edward simply kissed his skin and then sighed, mumbling against Gene’s neck “Don’t know if I can.”

“It’ll be alright,” Gene assured. “I’ll stay with you, if you want. But I know Bill and the Pack are worried about ya. Your ma, too.” Gene rubbed a hand soothingly over Edward’s back. “I called, but it’ll mean more to ‘em if you do.”

“How am I supposed to explain this?” Edward asked, voice shaky. “I don’t even feel…like myself anymore, unless I’ve had your blood.” He huffed. “And how fucked up is that? The only time I feel close to human is when I drink blood.”

“I’m sorry, Edward.” Gene murmured. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”

“Not your fault.” Edward growled. “You…you did everything you could, Gene. More than enough. I can’t _believe_ everything you’ve done for me. Everything you’re still doing.”

“I love you.” Gene said. “And your family loves ya, too.”

“I just…” Edward huffed, his brow furrowing in frustration. “I just don’t wanna be _this._ I know it’s ungrateful to say it. I know Nix did this to save my life. But….” He gulped, tears in his voice, “I can’t help but think about everything I’ve lost. Everything I’ll never have now, because of it. And I know it’s better than bein’ dead for good, but Gene….” He did cry now, his tears hot and wet on Gene’s skin, “we were so close to happy. We were gonna be happy.”

Gene had to swallow back his own tears now. “We still can be, Babe. We can be.”

“I’m never gonna see sunlight again.” Edward sobbed. “All my friends…they’ll grow old and die, Gene. But not me. I won’t. And you…. You….” His cries wracked his body and Gene felt his own heart squeeze with pain. Pain for Edward and everything he’d lost. Everything he was losing. Pain for himself and what they’d almost had. Pain for the future he’d only barely begun to allow himself to imagine for them before the demons had torn it all away. Nix had given them a tattered version of it, but… it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t.

“I’m still here, Babe.” Gene promised. “I’m still here, and I won’t leave you. Not now, or eva.” He clutched his lover close to him. “I lost you once and I won’t do it again, you hear me?”

“Y-yeah,” Edward gulped. “Yeah, I hear ya.”

“Good.” Gene ran his fingers soothingly through Edward’s hair. “I want ya to sleep now, alright? And when ya wake up, call your ma. She deserves to hear your voice. And I’ll start researchin’.”

Edward snuffled and buried his nose against Gene’s shoulder. “Researchin’ what?” He asked, voice thick.

Gene pressed a kiss against Edward’s forehead. “A cure.”

* * *

_Day 15_

“Hey, Dick,” Gene called absentmindedly from the table in the library, “have you seen LaBelle’s book on blood magic?”

“Huh?” Dick asked, pulling away from the shelf with a leather-bound treatise on vampires. “No, I haven’t seen it. Did you lose it?”

“Can’t remember where I put it.” Gene huffed, shuffling through the countless books and papers spread out before him. “Damn,” he grumbled, “there’s a new spell I wanted to try before Edward wakes up.”

Dick checked his watch. “You’ve still got a couple hours.”

“Don’t know how long it’ll take.”

“It won’t make you sick, will it? Like last time?”

Gene rolled his eyes. “Prob’ly not.”

Dick snorted. “That didn’t sound convincing.”

“Just…help me find that book, will ya?”

“Drink this.” Gene said, handing the vial of blood to Edward.

The redhead smiled dreamily at Gene, his fingers wrapping around the glass carefully. He’d shattered a couple already, which caused Nix to curse and leave the room. Edward took a deep, steadying breath, and tipped the blood into his mouth. Gene watched, intently, as Edward swallowed, waiting for any reaction.

“Fuck,” Edward groaned, a moment later, “I don’t…I don’t think that one was a good idea.” Edward muttered as he folded in on himself. Gene reached for him, but the vampire fell to his knees before he could catch him and then heaved, violently, onto the kitchen floor. 

Gene watched, horrified, as bloody saliva dripped from Edward’s mouth and spattered the floor. “Shit. You okay, Edward?” He asked, kneeling next to him. “You okay?”

“I, uh….” Edward coughed again then sat back on his heels, swiping the back of his hand against his mouth. “I will be.”

“Here,” Nix sighed, handing a bottle of blood over while he carefully kept his eyes off of the bloody mess on the floor. “This’ll help.”

Gene glanced up at him gratefully. “I’ll get this cleaned up.” Gene murmured.

“Yeah. Thanks.” Nix said, before high-tailing it out of the kitchen once more.

* * *

_Day 20_

“How are things going, Lip?” Dick asked, phone on speaker where it lay on the kitchen table. Dick busied himself making sandwiches for himself and Gene—they’d been busy all morning and forgotten to eat breakfast, much to Dick’s chagrin.

“Better,” Lip said, voice sounding more like himself than it had for weeks now. “I, uh…I’ve been helping the Pack rebuild at Toye’s. They want to reopen soon.”

“Good,” Dick said, smiling. “That’s good.” He stacked some ham and cheese onto slices of bread. “No lingering issues?”

Lip sighed. “No physical ones.” Dick could hear shuffling on the other end of the line and Lip’s voice grew higher in pitch. “It helps when I keep myself busy. George says that’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, I think he’s right.” Dick cleared his throat, turned to the phone for a second. “Is, uh…is Speirs still there?”

Dick could practically _hear_ Lip’s shrug through the phone. “He’s around.”

“And? Nothing…bad, right? He hasn’t tried anything?”

“No, he hasn’t tried anything.” Lip said. Then, changing topics without bothering with finesse, “How’s Babe? Bill told me that he’s… _going through some things._ ”

Dick frowned, and understood now Lip’s desire to change the subject. “He’s…hanging in there.” He thought to the awkward, fledgling vampire that was passed out upstairs in Gene’s bed while the witch worked diligently in the library. “We’re managing.”

“Yeah? Everyone else is good?”

Dick pressed his lips together. “Like I said, we’re managing. It’s a bit of a weird situation.”

Lip chuckled softly. “I can imagine.”

“You okay in Philly, Lip? Really?”

“Yeah,” Lip said, and Dick could sense the hint of a smile. “Yeah, I’m doing okay here.”

“I’m glad.” Dick said, and he allowed himself to smile. If nothing else, he had his friend back and it sounded like he was beginning to heal. “Well, you know you can always call if you need anything. As soon as we get things figured out here, I wanna visit.”

“Sounds like a plan, Dick. Take care of that crazy gang of yours.”

Dick chuckled. “Will do. See you Lip.”

“Yeah. See ya.”

“Here,” Dick said, setting a sandwich down at Gene’s elbow. “You need to eat something.”

“Yeah, in just a minute,” Gene said, flipping another page.

Dick huffed and gently pried the book out of the other man’s hands. When Gene frowned up at him, Dick pushed the plate closer. “Eat.”

* * *

_Day 22_

Nix pressed Dick up against the wall, his mouth tracing the line of his throat. “Nix,” Dick moaned, fingers tangled in Nix’s thick, dark hair. “Oh, God, Nix, I need you.”

“I’m here,” Nix panted, his breath hot against Dick’s skin. He caught Dick’s earlobe between his teeth and sucked it softly. Dick whined in the back of his throat and Nix felt his blood heat up. “I’ve gotcha,” Nix said, undoing the button on Dick’s jeans with a quick twist of his fingers. In the next moment, his hand was down the man’s pants and he wrapped his fist around Dick’s length.

“Oh, God,” Dick panted. “Yeah, Nix, just like that. Please.”

Nix pressed tighter against him, his knee between Dick’s, and he began to rut against the man’s thigh as he stroked him. “Fuck,” Nix gasped, “Feel so good, Dick. Feel so good. God, I just can’t get enough of you. It’s never enough.”

“Nix,” Dick panted, “Nix. Nix.”

They didn’t last long, each going limp in each other’s arms in a matter of minutes. 

They chuckled softly against each other then straightened themselves up, smoothing clothes and wiping away the evidence of what they’d just done. 

When they made their way into the library, they found Gene staring concernedly at Babe, who was blushing fiercely (a strange look since he’d been so pale lately) and his eyes were wide, horrified, and embarrassed when he caught sight of Dick and Nix. 

Dick shifted awkwardly on his feet and leaned over to Nix, murmuring “Nix…I think he heard us.”

Nix only smirked, though, and said “Looks like.” He sauntered into the room and ruffled Babe’s hair as he approached. “Here’s another lesson, kid…you can choose when to listen and when not to.”

“Jesus,” Babe gaped, staring up at Nix, “you couldn’t have told me that sooner?”

Nix laughed.

* * *

_Day 25_

“Try again,” Gene coaxed, kneeling in front of Edward. “Just another little sip.”

“Tastes weird,” Edward huffed.

“It’s the spell, Edward.” 

“Fine.” He took the vial in his hand and pinched his nose as he tipped it back. “Ugh,” he gasped, after. “That was disgusting.” He gazed up at Gene with his soft, brown eyes. “Nothin’ like I’m used to.”

Gene smiled down at him. “Flattery will get you nowhere,” he drawled.

Edward smirked. “You sure about that?”

“Positive. How do you feel?”

“My fingers are tingling.”

“Let me know if it changes.”

* * *

_Day 26_

“Edward,” Gene called, walking into their shared bedroom, “you up yet?”

He’d barely shut the door before the redhead had him pinned to it. Gene opened his mouth—to protest, to scream, he wasn’t sure, but then Edward’s was pressed to his, his lips devouring, tongue tasting. Edward reached down and hauled Gene up, guiding him to wrap his legs around Edward’s waist. Gene could feel him, hard already, in his sweatpants. “Fuck,” he gasped, tearing his mouth away from Edward’s for a gasp of air.

Then Edward pulled him under again, and he started up a rhythm, rocking them both against the wall. Gene gasped, little panting whines as Edward rutted against him, as his hands held Gene tightly, and his mouth explored Gene’s mouth, his neck, his collarbones. “Gene,” Edward breathed, “fuck, you smell so good. Taste so good. Need you.”

“Take me,” Gene begged, tightening his legs to pull Edward closer.

They were frantic—hands tugging, hips grinding, mouths hot and wet and swollen. Gene was close. So close. God, he’d needed this. “Edward,” he gasped, “please, so close.”

Edward reached between them and pressed his hand to Gene. It was enough. Gene tipped his head back, eyes fluttering closed, as spots danced against his eyelids. He heard Edward groan a minute later and his hips stuttered, losing their rhythm. His face dropped to the space between Gene’s neck and shoulder and Gene shuddered at the feel of his lover’s hot breath there. “Yes,” Gene muttered, hurriedly, before he could think too long about it. “Yes, Babe. Do it.”

“Gene?”

“Bite me, Babe.”

“Fuck,” Edward groaned, and then his tongue traced the skin of Gene’s neck, briefly, before the sharp sting of his fangs pierced Gene’s skin and then it was _pain_ and _pleasure_ and _overwhelming heat._ Edward moaned and pressed his tongue flat against Gene’s skin, lapping now, and Gene thought he was going to shake apart from the feel of it.

A few seconds later, they both came again.

* * *

_Day 27_

Dick stared at the healing wounds on the side of Gene’s neck long enough that the other man turned to meet his eyes. They stared at each other for a long time, but in the end, neither of them said anything about it.

* * *

_Day 28_

Nix did, though. After the sun went down, he pulled Babe out into the crisp night air for a walk. “So,” he said, “you did it, huh?”

Babe, hunched over against the cold even though he couldn’t feel it like he used to, shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at a stray rock in the drive. “Did what?”

“Bit Gene.”

Babe glanced up sharply, a blush already staining his cheeks. “I, uh….”

“I saw the marks, Babe. He didn’t say anything, but I saw.”

Babe huffed. “Yeah.”

“Did he give you permission?”

“What?”

“Did he give you permission?”

Babe stopped and stared at Nix. “Yeah. He asked me to.”

Nix stared at him, hard, in the darkness, assessing. Finally, though, he allowed his shoulders to relax and he said “Alright.”

“What? That’s it? That’s why we came out here?”

“Just had to know whether you needed an ass-kicking or not.” Babe opened his mouth to protest but Nix waved it away. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You love him and you’d never.”

“Damn right.”

Nix sighed, heavily. “You’re a good kid, Babe.”

* * *

_Day 30_

“Hey Dick, will you hand me that mistletoe?” Gene asked, absently, as he continued to grind the rue into powder. Dick sidled up next to him quietly and handed over the plant. “Thanks,” Gene said, “It was the last thing I needed for this spell.”

“You think it’ll work?” Dick asked.

Gene shrugged. “Maybe.” He knew the hunter was skeptical. After all, the previous dozen or so attempts had failed. Some of them had made Edward sick. Some of them had seemingly done nothing at all. But Gene wasn’t willing to give up. He’d promised Edward that he would keep looking for a cure, that he would restore him to humanity, and that’s what he intended on doing. Even if it took him forever.

“You ever think….” Dick started, but then he cut himself off with a frown.

“What?”

“Never mind.”

“Nah, what is it?”

“I just wondered. You always do the spell on the vial of blood. What if you did the spell on yourself before you drew the blood? Do you think that’d make a difference?”

Now it was Gene’s turn to frown and he stared down at the toxic mixture in the mortar before him. “It might.”

“Nothing poisonous, though.” Dick insisted. “I know what you’re thinking.”

Gene quirked a brow and grinned at the other man. “Do you, now?”

“After all this time? Yeah, I think I do. You’re not as mysterious as you think you are.” Dick insisted.

Gene laughed. “So what’m I thinkin’?”

“You’re wondering how much of that you’d have to drink to make yourself sick. You’re wondering if it’s worth it. Like I said, I think I’ve got you figured out. You’re self-sacrificing, for one. And stubborn, too.”

Gene snorted. “Look who’s talkin’.”

Dick fought back his own grin. “So. What do you think? Will it make a difference?”

“It’s worth a shot.” Before Dick could reply, Gene dipped his fingers into the powder then licked them.

“Damnit, no!” Dick growled.

“You were right,” Gene muttered. “I already calculated how much of it’d make me sick and whether it was worth it.” He shrugged. “I’ll be alright.” He dipped his fingers and licked again.

Dick watched him, morbidly fascinated. “That’s poison, isn’t it?”

Gene huffed as he sucked powder off his fingers again. “Of a kind.”

“There’s gotta be a different way to do that.” Dick said, still watching him.

Gene shrugged once more. “Almost done, now.”

It didn’t make him sick, per se, but he did find himself nearly hallucinatory. He could hear his own heart beating, loudly in his ears, and he imagined that he could hear Dick’s too, from where the hunter knelt beside him, rubbing his back in case he retched. 

That’s where Nix and Edward found them, just after the sun went down. Edward hurried over, his hands fluttering over Gene as he assessed him, muttering “You hurt, Gene? You sick? What’s wrong?”

“Poisoned himself,” Dick muttered.

“What?!” Nix yelped. “What the hell for?”

“Didn’t poison myself,” Gene insisted. “It’s a spell.”

Dick rolled his eyes, thinking that Gene didn’t see him, but he did.

“Need to try it before my metabolism burns it off.” Gene said, staring up at Edward. “Here.” He held out a hand and Edward took it, brows furrowed. Gene sighed and pressed closer, lifting his finger to Edward’s mouth.

The other man grasped his hand and, keeping eye contact with Gene, wrapped his lips around Gene’s finger and sucked for a moment, warmly, teasingly, before piercing the soft pad with his teeth. Gene hissed in a breath but made no move to pull back when Edward sucked, his tongue caressing Gene’s finger, lapping at the beads of blood.

He was aware of Nix’s breath, coming faster and faster from near them, until Dick took him by the hand and pulled him toward the kitchen. 

“Good?” Gene asked.

Edward withdrew Gene’s finger with a pop and then kissed the tip of it, where blood still welled. “Yes,” he said, eyes already glazing. “So good.”

* * *

_Day 31_

Babe groaned softly and buried his head back in the pillow. His head was pounding and he felt exhausted, like he hadn’t gotten any sleep at all. “Babe, come on,” Nix insisted, once more. “It’s time to get up.”

“Leave me ‘lone.” Babe huffed. “’M so tired.”

“It’s seven already. The sun’s been down for two hours. Wake up.”

“Can’t.” Babe mumbled. “Head hurts.”

“Shit,” Nix muttered, crouching next to the bed. He rolled Babe over and then pressed a palm against his forehead. “You’re hot.” He exclaimed, shocked. “What the hell?”

“Hurts.” Babe whined.

“Yeah. Let me… let me go get Gene.”

The voices were hushed, back and forth, back and forth. Babe couldn’t really untangle them. He knew one of the voices was Gene—would know that voice anywhere—but he couldn’t tell the others. Maybe Nix?

“Babe,” Gene murmured, “I need ya ta drink this, alright?”

“Gene,” Babe whined, lifting his head to drink from the cup that Gene pressed to his lips. Water. He still remembered the taste.

“Alright?” Gene asked.

“Yeah,” Babe sighed. “Yeah. ‘M alright.”

“Good. Now this.” And then the lip of a vial was pressed to his mouth and he opened, draining the blood in one swallow. He shuddered. Gene pet his hair. “You did good, sweetheart.” Gene murmured. “You rest now.”

* * *

_Day 32_

“He still asleep?” Nix asked, sidling up behind Dick where the stood in the doorway, watching Gene minister to a delirious Babe. He perched his chin on Dick’s shoulder, wrapped his arms around his waist, and breathed him in.

“Yeah, in and out all day. He keeps talking, but he’s obviously not aware.”

“Is Gene sure about this? I don’t like it.”

Dick snorted. “Last time I said I didn’t like it, you told me to trust him.”

Nix frowned against Dick’s shoulder. “Yeah, well….”

“I know. It was before you had a personal stake in it.”

“It’s just… _I do._ ” Nix murmured. “Never mind that I never wanted to create another vampire. I did. And he’s there, right now. And I’m responsible for him.” He huffed. “Fuck. This is how you felt about Gene when you first brought him here, isn’t it?”

Dick chuckled softly. “Something like that.”

_“Gene,”_ Babe whined from the bed, and the witch bent over him to hush him, brushing his hair gently away from his forehead.

“Here, Edward, drink this.” Gene murmured soothingly, pressing another vial of blood against Babe’s lips.

Nix tensed behind Dick, wanting to go over there and stop it, take the poisoned blood from his hands and dash it against the wall. “I wanna stop this.” Nix growled.

“He thinks it’s working.” Dick said, wrapping his hands over Nix’s to keep him in place.

“And what if it’s not? What if it’s killing him instead?”

He couldn’t see it, but he could practically _feel_ Dick’s frown. “Then he’ll stop.”

Nix huffed unhappily. “Maybe the damage will already be done.”

Dick shook his head. “Then he’ll fix it. It’s what he does.” Dick turned in Nix’s arms, then, and pushed the both of them away from the door, tugging Nix downstairs despite his resistance. “Come on,” Dick said, “you need to eat something. Then we’ll go for a walk. I need some fresh air.”

“But—”

“He loves Babe, Nix. We both know that. We were both there. Have a little faith.”

“I just…God, I don’t know how I ended up in this situation. I don’t even know why the hell I care.”

“Yes you do, Nix.” Dick said, stopping to kiss him chastely on the mouth. “And I love you for it.”

* * *

_Day 33_

“ _Gene,_ ” Edward moaned, “ _feel like I’m dyin’._ ”

Gene clenched his jaw and held Edward tighter against him. He wiped the sweat from his brow. “Shh…I know, Edward, I know…but ya ain’t. It’s okay. I got ya.”

“ _Everything hurts._ ” Edward muttered.

“It’ll get better soon, I promise.” He hoped. He prayed. 

“ _Promise you won’t leave me, Gene._ ”

“Never,” Gene vowed. “I promise.”

* * *

_Day 34_

“His fever broke a couple hours ago.” Dick said, massaging Nix’s shoulders because they’d been worryingly tight for the last few days.

“That’s good,” Nix sighed. “Anything else?”

“He ate some soup.”

“That’s good,” he repeated, numbly, and then “wait, _what?!_ ” Nix leapt from his chair and spun around. “Soup? That’ll make him sick. I _told_ him he couldn’t eat regular food anymore. Are they up there? I’m gonna go up there.”

“Nix,” Dick said, hands reaching out to steady him. “He wanted soup.” Dick’s eyes widened, as if he were explaining something to a child. “He was hungry. And he wanted soup.”

Nix’s mouth dropped open in shock. “He was hungry…” he muttered, staring back at Dick, “…and he didn’t want blood?”

“He wanted soup.”

* * *

_Day 36_

“Don’t…don’t get too close. Damn it, Babe, you’re giving me anxiety here.”

“I’m fine, Nix,” the kid said, rolling his eyes. “I won’t get too close. I just wanna see.”

“That’s what they all say,” Nix growled, “right before they burst into flames.”

“Really?” Babe said, pulling back from the open window. “This isn’t just you being dramatic?”

Nix huffed. “Okay, maybe _burst_ isn’t the right word, but it’s gonna hurt like a bitch!”

Babe huffed. “Gotta find out one way or another.”

“Just… just make it quick, alright?” Nix asked, wringing his hands together from the shadows.

“Right.” Babe said, steeling his nerves. “Right, I can do this.” He wiggled his fingers, then, before he could overthink it, he darted his hand into the sunlight pouring in through the window, then jerked it back again.

“Well?!” Nix demanded, forcing himself not to spring forward and grab the kid. 

“Holy shit!” Babe yelled. Then he did it again.

* * *

_Day 37_

“Ugh,” Edward said, cringing. “Gene, I love you, but this is disgusting.” He eyed the vial of blood warily before tipping it back and drinking it down. He shuddered and stuck out his tongue after. “Ugh. So gross.”

Gene smiled warmly at him and took the vial back.

* * *

_Day 38_

“Will it last?” Nix asked, hovering in the library doorway. Inside, Gene and Babe had fallen asleep together on the floor, books spread out around them. An arrow of sunlight burned through the middle of the floor. 

“I don’t know.” Dick said, voice tight. “We’ll just have to see.” He pulled back, met Nix’s eyes for just a brief moment, before averting them again and walking away.

* * *

_Day 40_

“Gene, I don’t wanna wear sunblock. Geez, you’re worse than my ma.”

“Shut up, Edward,” Gene said, slathering the stuff all over the redhead’s face. “We ain’t takin’ no chances. Now where’s your sunglasses?”

“We’re just going for a short walk!” Edward protested.

“Put ‘em on.”

* * *

_Day 43_

“How long’s it been?” Nix asked, sipping from his bottle of blood casually. Babe sat across the table from him, eyeing it warily.

“What?”

“Since you had any of his blood.”

Babe frowned. “Couple days.”

“And?”

Babe shrugged. “And…I feel okay. I think. It’s hard to tell.”

“You’re not tripping all over yourself anymore.”

“Yeah,” Babe chuckled. “Can’t move as fast.”

“Are you happy?”

“Yeah,” Babe sighed, eyes dreamy and full of love. “Yeah, I’m happy.”

Nix’s smile was tight. “Good.”

* * *

_Day 45_

“He wants to go see his family.” Gene said, leaning up against the kitchen counter next to Dick. 

“He should.” Dick said, nodding. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah.” Gene twisted his hands together, nervous.

“You know the two of you are always welcome here.”

Gene bumped his shoulder softly against Dick’s. “Thanks. Means a lot.”

“Yeah.” Dick continued to stare at the dark-haired man, a man who he’d grown so close to it was amazing they hadn’t known each other for years. He studied his expression—the furrowed brow, the tightness around his mouth. “You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah.” Gene said, releasing a heavy breath. “You?”

“Yeah.” Dick smiled for his friend. 

“I don’t know if it’s permanent.” Gene said. 

Dick nodded. “I know.”

* * *

_Day 46_

Nix bowed his head over a book, taking comfort in the familiarity of recent days. He wasn’t even researching anymore. Just doing translations again for Harry. It’d felt like the world stopped, before, but it hadn’t. It’d just started spinning differently. 

Nix would never understand, really, how things had fallen out the way that they had. He’d been alone, then he wasn’t anymore. He’d had someone else, just like him, and now he didn’t. He was happy for the kid, he really was. But he was also… _sad._ Babe wanted to leave, and Gene said that they would.

Nix wasn’t alone, though. He still had Dick. Dick, who’d stuck around. Dick, who said he loved him. Nix wanted to give him the world, but he wasn’t sure what that meant anymore.

The library door cracked open and Nix raised his head enough to see Gene squeeze through before shutting it and locking it behind him. Nix sat up the rest of the way, wary now. “What is it?” He asked.

The witch sauntered closer, his movements all casual grace and power. He would’ve made a terrifying vampire. His brows were pulled together, a line of worry marring his forehead. His mouth was tense, and Nix had seen that face so many times before at this point. He’d seen Gene look that way while they poured over books, researching demons, while he struggled to turn himself into a demon trap to get his true love back. It worried him now.

“What is it?” Nix asked, again. He sat back in his chair. Gene wandered closer, too close for comfort. Nix shifted in his seat. “Gene?”

“You and I,” Gene said, in his deep, drawling voice, “we ain’t always seen eye to eye. I didn’t trust you, for a long time. I hated you for a while.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t understand Dick. Why he’d do what he did and _be_ with you.” Nix gulped, because he still asked himself the same question. “But… you opened your home to me when I needed a refuge. You did what you could, for Edward and me. You watched over him and helped him through this.” Gene huffed, his shoulder slumping. “I never thanked you.” Nix’s throat was dry, now, because Gene had never said so many words to him at once. A flutter of hope and fear twisted in his belly. “I don’t know if it’s permanent. Hell, I don’t even know if it’ll work on you.” Gene slowly, carefully, pulled a vial of his blood from his pocket and he held it out, temptingly, terrifyingly, to Nix. Nix felt his world crashing down— _Oh god, oh god, oh god—_ and he held his breath. “But it's yours, if you want it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Alright folks, remember that comments are love and totally make my day! Please let me know what you thought. Also, feel free to come say hi on tumblr. I'm @realhunterswearplaid.


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